Written Answers Wednesday 24 June 2009

Scottish Executive

Biodiversity

Liam McArthur (Orkney) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the likelihood that it will achieve its objective of halting the loss of biodiversity by 2010.

Roseanna Cunningham: The Joint Nature Conservation Committee is currently analysing data collected across the UK in the recent reporting round for 2008. This will form the basis for reporting against 2010 targets.

  Full information is available at http://www.ukbap-reporting.org.uk/.

Biodiversity

Liam McArthur (Orkney) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has considered additional measures to ensure that it achieves its objective of halting the loss of biodiversity by 2010 and, if so, what these measures are.

Roseanna Cunningham: Actions from the draft Scottish Biodiversity Strategy implementation plans, which have been the subject of public consultation by Scottish Natural Heritage, are being incorporated into delivery plans for the five ecosystem groups - upland, woodland, marine and coastal, freshwater and wetland, and lowland and farming. Further information is available at:

  http://www.biodiversityscotland.gov.uk/.

Biodiversity

Liam McArthur (Orkney) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has carried out, or intends to carry out, an assessment of the progress made by other EU member states in achieving the objective of halting the loss of biodiversity by 2010.

Roseanna Cunningham: Regular assessments of the progress made by EU member states towards biodiversity targets are made by the European Commission. These are available at:

  http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/biodiversity/comm2006/index_en.htm.

Dentistry

Christina McKelvie (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in developing additional training capacity for clinical dental technicians.

Shona Robison: It is a strategic goal of this administration to increase clinical dental technician (CDT) capacity within the NHS in Scotland for the benefit of patients.

  I have listened also to the concerns of members of the Association of Cosmetic Dental Specialists about the shortage of training opportunities available to dental technicians (DTs) in Scotland so that they may gain the relevant training and qualifications required to practise as CDTs, and so register with their regulatory body.

  Through the efforts of NHS Education Scotland, in partnership with the Kent, Surrey and Sussex Deanery, I am pleased to announce the availability of a distance learning clinical dental technology course, the clinical elements for which will be held in Scotland for Scottish-based DTs undertaking this course. I am also making available grant funding to existing DTs who may require such assistance in order to participate in this course, subject to a commitment to work for the NHS in Scotland.

Education

Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of its news release of 11 June 2009 on national qualifications, what plans it has for secondary school pupils to sit tests in literacy and numeracy.

Fiona Hyslop: Assessment in secondary school will focus on ensuring the further development and appropriate formal recognition of literacy and numeracy skills through the new national literacy and national numeracy qualifications. The qualifications will be awarded on the basis of a portfolio of work drawn from across the revised curriculum or other aspects of learning, life and work. In the new curriculum, young people will complete their broad general education during secondary one to secondary three and literacy and numeracy are key aspects of this experience. It is therefore appropriate to allow young people the flexibility to be presented for these qualifications from secondary three onwards. It is important, however, that young people are presented for the qualifications when they are ready - for many this will be later. It is expected that most young people will be presented for these qualifications before they leave school.

  The qualifications will involve external marking by Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA). Throughout primary and secondary school, literacy and numeracy skills will be assessed on an ongoing basis to ensure that any issues are identified and addressed.

Education

Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of its news release of 11 June 2009 on national qualifications, whether English and Maths teachers will teach literacy and numeracy.

Fiona Hyslop: Yes. Curriculum for Excellence places a responsibility for developing and assessing literacy and numeracy skills on all teachers working with children and young people from age three to 18. This was not the case under previous arrangements.

Environment

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the extent is of current and approved commercial peat extraction and whether it will list the name and area of each site, also showing the approved afteruse.

Roseanna Cunningham: Control of commercial peat extraction lies with local authorities who will hold current information on extent, site location, and after use.

  In 2003, Scottish Natural Heritage commissioned a review of commercial peat extraction in Scotland which listed sites, areas, planning conditions and relation to nearby protected sites (special area of conservation or sites of special scientific interest which intersect or lie within one km). The report collated information from 28 local authorities (out of 36). It is an unpublished document and has not been updated. At that time, 72 peat extraction consent sites were recorded in Scotland (20 active, 16 expired, three pending, the remaining 33 awaiting confirmation). After-use for sites was varied and include wetland creation, forestry and agriculture.

  Trade data on the volume of peat sold by Scottish producers is also collected annually by the Office for National Statistics and the latest data available for 2007 is given in the following table:

  Mineral Extraction in Great Britain 2007: Peat Extractors’ Sales by End-Use and Area of Origin

  

 Area of Origin
 Horticultural Use
 Other Use
 Total


 (Thousand Cubic Metres)


 South of Scotland
 51
 -
 51


 West Central Scotland
 *
 *
 107


 East Central Scotland
 68
 1
 69


 North East Scotland
 -
 1
 1


 Highlands
 -
 *
 *


 Orkney
 1
 -
 1


 Shetland
 *
 1
 *


 Scotland
 221
 10
 231


 Great Britain
 875
 10
 885



  Notes:

  *Withheld to avoid disclosure.

  -Nil or less than 500 tonnes.

Environment

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any sites where commercial peat extraction takes place or has been approved for extraction are classified as a special protection area or special area of conservation and, if so, whether it will list these sites and the arrangements in place to deliver compensatory measures.

Roseanna Cunningham: Scottish Natural Heritage has only identified one such site, that being the Slamannan Plateau special protection area.

  The Conservation (Natural Habitats, etc) regulations 1994 (as amended) make provision for the review of existing decisions and consents in relation to their potential to affect European sites.

Environment

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has undertaken, or is aware of, any assessment of the carbon emissions from commercial peat extraction in Scotland and what steps it is taking to ensure that the impact of peat extraction is considered in its reports against targets in the Climate Change (Scotland) Bill.

Roseanna Cunningham: The UK Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory includes estimates of greenhouse gas emissions due to commercial peat extraction. These relate to peat extracted for horticultural use, which is the main reason for commercial extraction in Scotland. Annual emissions due to peat extracted in Scotland were estimated to be between 69 and 151 gigagrammes (Gg) CO 2  (2003-07).

  The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) are also funding research to quantify the greenhouse gas emissions (carbon footprint) associated with the extraction production, processing, transport and use of peat and will report this in summer 2009.

  The methodology used in compiling the UK Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory complies with the requirements of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and will therefore continue to show emissions associated with peat extraction. A disaggregated version is also produced which shows specific emissions data for Scotland. Emissions and removals data will be taken from this for reporting the net Scottish emissions account in connection with the targets in the Climate Change (Scotland) Bill.

Police

Nigel Don (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will respond to the Independent Review of Policing in Scotland , published in January 2009.

Kenny MacAskill: The Independent Review raised some challenging issues for policing in Scotland which we are committed to addressing in partnership with the police and local government.

  I can today announce that the Scottish Government will convene a new Scottish Policing Board. The board will bring together, for the first time, central and local government partners with the police to identify and consider the key strategic priorities for policing across Scotland. The board will act as a single collective voice for policing in Scotland, strengthening governance and accountability at the national level. The agenda for the board will be developed with partners and a first meeting will take place in the autumn.

  We have also been considering the future role of Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMICS), in the context of changes to scrutiny across the wider public sector in Scotland. The Scottish Government greatly values the role played by HMICS and the independent advice it provides to all policing partners. Over the last few years it has made important strides in modernising its inspection regime. We recognise the benefits of stability and propose to continue with current arrangements for now, but keep this under review. This will allow HMICS to finish the process of embedding rigorous self-assessment in forces and the introduction of Best Value 2.

  I have today written to the convener of the Justice Committee setting out these developments in more detail. Copies of this letter have been placed in the Scottish Parliament’s Information Centre (Bib. number 48439).

Vaccinations

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, with particular focus on those which have agreed to support vaccinations for teenagers who have left school, how many GP practices have agreed to undertake human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccinations.

Shona Robison: No national contractual agreement was reached with the Scottish General Practitioners Committee (SGPC) in relation to the involvement of GP practices in the HPV vaccination programme. Therefore this information is not held centrally.